Portable sanitary water dispenser for athletic teams, with means for storing new and used cups



Oct. 9, 1951 R STEVENS 2,570,28

PORTABLE SANITARY WATER DISPENSER FOR ATHLETIC TEAMS,

WITH MEANS FOR STORING NEW AND USED CUPS Filed Jan. 19, 1948 n INVENTOR 7//// 1 )v// ///77.l RAYMOND E. S EVENS ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1951 PORTABLE SANITARY WATER DISPENSER FOR ATHLETIC TEAMS, WITH MEANS FOR STORING NEW AND USED CUPS Raymond E. Stevens, Delavan, Wis. Application January 19, 1948, Serial No. 3,110

1 Claim.

. The present invention relates. in general to portable sanitary water dispenser for athletic teams, with means for storing new and used cups, but more in particular to portable dispensing apparatus for Water or beverages, and the object of the invention is a new and improved apparatus of this character.

' Dispensing apparatus made in accordance with the invention is especially adapted for use by football teams to supply water to the players on the field during the time out periods which occur during the course of a game. Such time out periods may be called for this purpose, and when called for other reasons, are usually taken ad vantage of by the trainers of the teams to rush a supply of Water on the field from the sidelines, Where it is kept in readiness for these occasions.

Various water containers are in use. Perhaps the most common practice is to carry the water on the field in an ordinary pail or bucket with a long handled dipper which is used by the players in turn. Water jugs and water bottles are also frequently seen and have the doubtful advantage that no dipper is required, since the players can drink directly from the jug or bottle as it is passed around.

These crude drinking devices have been retained over the years partly because they are traditionally in keeping with the spirit of the game. but mainly because nothing better has been available. Although the unsanitary condition has been recognized it has "seemed impossible to do anything about it. The requirement for the expeditious and efficient conduct of the game is paramount and has been regarded as precluding the provision of individual drinking facilities for the players. A special object of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a sanitary water dispensing apparatus for use by football teams to supply the players on the field with water during the course of a game. The new dispensing apparatus is as portable as the conventional pail or bucket, and at the same time it provides a closed container which keeps the water clean, individual sanitary drinking cups adapted to be filled from faucets on the container as required, and means associated with the container and forming part thereof for dispensing the cups and for disposing of them after they have been used.

The invention not only eliminates the danger of transmission of disease between players from the use of a common drinking utensil, but it has the further advantage, in high school and college circles, of avoiding interference with the inculcation of proper ideas regarding sanitation,

Students who observe the complete disregard of elementary sanitary precautions on the football field, apparently with the consent and approval of the faculty, are inclined to View classroom instructions as to the importance of such precautions with some skepticism. The spectacle provided by use of the present invention has precisely the opposite effect. The insistence that players engaged in the rugged game of football observe the ban on common drinking utensils emphasizes the danger in the practice and impresses the students with the importance of avoiding it and similar practices not in accord with the rules of sanitation.

A further object of the invention is a water dispensing apparatus made of relatively light sheet metal, and embodying structural features which make it exceptionally strong and rigid notwithstanding the relatively light gauge of the sheet metal which is used.

The invention will be described more in detail in the ensuing specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a water dispensing apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows certain structural details including a drip tray; and

Fig. 5 is a partial section on the line 55, Fig. 4, showing the construction of a side seam or joint. Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that my improved water dispensing apparatus comprises a Water container l0, having faucets H and I2, a sanitary paper cup magazine or holder 13, detachably secured to one side of the container 1|], and a receptacle l4, detachabl secured to the opposite side of the container Ill for receiving cups after they have been used. There are other parts which will be mentioned in the course of the description.

The water container or reservoir I0 is preferably made from 24 gauge stainless steel sheet material. It is made in two parts or halves. The front half, which can be seen in Fig. 1, is made by cutting a piece of sheet stock to the proper size and making a plurality of 45 degree bends along lines such as 20 and 2| to form panels IE to [9, inclusive, of which panels 16, H, and [8 can be seen in Fig. 1, panel I5 in Fig. 4, and panels [8 and IS in Fig. 2. The edges of panels l5 and iii are then folded over to form hooks as shown in the case of panel IS in Fig. 5. The bending operations may be performed on a ma chine known as a sheet metal break. 1 The rear half of the container is made in the same way and comprises five integrally formed panels such as'22 and 23, Fig. 4.

It should be mentioned that before subjecting the sheets to the bending operations described above, certain punching operations are performed to make the holes for the faucets and certain screw holes which are required. Also one edge of each sheet is folded over as indicated at 26 in Fi 3.

The front and rear halves of the container are joined together by means of two folded strips 24 and 25. The construction will be clear from Fig. 5, which shows how the panels 15 and 22 of the front and rear halves, respectively, are joined together by means of the folded strip 24. The joints should be pressed down after assembly to make a good mechanical connection between the parts. The result of the foregoing is a generally tubular structure of octagonal cross-section. The dimensions may be varied somewhat, but I have found that a height of 16 to 18 inches and diameter of 9 inches are very satisfactory. The octagonal shape and the heavy side seams or joints make the structure very strong and rigid.

The two brackets 32 and 34 may now be mounted on the sides of the container structure. For this purpose holes may be drilled at the joints 24 and 25 and tapped to receive screws such as 35, Fig. 4. The metal tangs 21 and 28 for at tachment of the bail '29 may be fastened on in the same manner.

The bottom of the container is an octagonal stainless steel sheet 40, Fig. 3, which is secured in place by soldering. At the time the bottom is soldered to the side panels, the joints which connect the two halves of the container, are also soldered as indicated at M in Fig. 5. The solder runs into the joint and makes a good water tight connection at all points along the seam, "including the points where the holes are drilled for the screws such as 35.

The faucets H and I2 are assembled on'the front panels l8 and Hi just above the bottom 40, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The latter figure shows the construction clearly and will require no detailed explanation.

The cover comprises a fixed section 42 having a downwardly extending rim which is secured to the top of the container by means of machine screws such as 43, and a hinged section or door 44 through which access is had to the interior of the container. The door 44 is attached to the section 42 by means of the hinges 46 and 4'! and is provided with a knob 45 for opening and closing it.

The bail 29 may be made of stainless steel rod stock. A suitable length of the rod is passed through the handle 30 and is then bent to give it the desired shape and to form hooks at the ends by means of which it is attached to the tangs 21 and 28. As previouly mentioned, these metal tangs are attached to the container at the joints 24 and 25, which are strong and rigid and entirely adequate to transfer the weight of the container and contents to the bail and handle.

The receptacle [4 for used cups may be made of the same material as the container 10. 'It is partly closed at the bottom by means of inwardly projecting leaves such as '55 which are formed integrally with the sides of the receptacle. The bracket 31 may be secured to the receptacle by spot welding and cooperates with the bracket 32 to detachably secure the receptacle to the container 10. These brackets taper slightly from 4 top to bottom and in the position in which the parts are shown in Fig. l, bracket 3| is wedged tightly inside bracket 32, whereby the receptacle I4 is firmly mounted on the container and is movable therewith as a unit.

The cup holder I3 is mounted on the container H] by means of brackets 33 and 34, which are similar to brackets 3| and 32. The holder I3 is of tubular form and contains a supply of paper see to it that the water container i0 is filled with a supply of good drinking water. If the team is the visiting team a supply of drinking water may have been carried along in gallon bottles, one or more of which can be emptied into the container. Otherwise, the container is filled from any reliable source of supply. If not already done, the cup holder 13 is filled with paper cups at this time, and the receptacle M is emptied. The apparatus may then be carried along with the team when it appears on the field and is deposited on the side line near the players bench where it will be ready for use when required.

In its location on the side line, the water dis-.- pensing apparatus is available to the players before the game starts, and during the game it is available to all the players not actually engaged. The trainer or his assistant will preside over the apparatus and see to it that proper use is made of the drinking facilities which it provides. When there is a demand for water from the team on the field, the apparatus is carried out quickly by means of the handle 30, and is set on the ground where the players are gathered in a group awaiting its arrival. The players may then help themselves to paper cups from the holder l3 and fill them from the faucets H and 12. This can be done conveniently since the extended side panels of the container 10 support the bottom thereof and the faucets II and I2 a suitable dis! tance above the ground. The container rests solidly on the ground without danger of tipping over, because the lower rim 25 cuts through surface irregularities, loose ground, etc. and finds a solid footing all around.

The trainer or other person in charge or the water dispenser will insist on each player using his own individual cup. The holder i3 has ample capacity for this purpose, since it need contain only enough cups for one trip on to the field and can be refilled after each trip if necessary. The trainer will also require the players to deposit the used cups in the receptacle I i promptly after they are through with them. By observing this precaution the apparatus can be removed from the field quickly at the end of the time out period without leaving the field littered with discarded cups.

Although the water dispensing apparatus provided by the invention is designed especially for the game of football, it has utility in connection with other games such as baseball and basketball. It can also be used to advantage on picnics and in any situation where water or other beverage has to be supplied to a number of individuals.

When the apparatus is used indoors, as in connection with the game of basketball, it is desirable to avoid getting any Water on the floor. A detachable tray 52 is accordingly provided, having a peripheral rim 53 which is high enough to catch and retain accidental drippings from the faucets II and I2 as well as from the used cups deposited in the receptacle 1 4. The tray 52 is provided with L shaped brackets such as 50 which may be spot welded to the tray, and which can be secured to the panels such as ll of the container by means of machine screws such as 5|. The apparatus is thus adapted for indoor as well as outdoor use.

The invention, having been described, that which is believed to be new and for which the protection of Letters Patent is desired, will be pointed out in the appended claim.

I claim:

A portable water dispensing apparatus, comprising an upright tubular sheet metal structure of octagonal cross-section, said structure comprising front and rear sections, means including vertical reinforcing strips joining said sections, a horizontal octagonal partition intermediate the upper and lower end of said structure, whereby the upper part of the structure constitutes a container, closure means for the top of said container, a cup magazine mounted on one of said strips, a plurality of faucets on said front section for filling said cups, a receptacle for used cups mounted on the other of said strips, and carrying means attached to said strips at the top of said container.

RAYMOND E. STEVENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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